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ISSUE # 15 OCTOBER 2013

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-Editorial.……………………………………..…………….2 NEWS -English Certication Process at UTN....……....3 -UTN Exclusive Tax Revenue Project……...3 -Aerosmith in Costa Rica………...... 4 -US Government Shutdown…………………….4 -Alajuela 200 years of History……..…...….…5 -Meza Skate Board…….………………………....…5

-Breast Cancer Day at UTN…………………….6 THE ILE ETHOS

-Nevermore, Nevermore..…..……..…..……..…7 -Explicit Grammar or Not?...... …8

-Importance of Research and Documentation.………………………….…....……9

Back in Time -The War and the Servant…………….…….…11

THE ATTIC OF BERTHA MASON -Kindergarten……………………………………….…12

-Mary Had a Little Lamb……………………….…13 LANGUAGE BITS…….…………….….….…..…14

For those who have the Halloween spirit, TECHNOLOGY here is a fresh pumpkin ready to be carved. -Goomag….………….………………………..…..…...15

In this edition, we want to share this beautiful HUMOR….….…………….…………….………………16 picture taken from THIS MONTH IN HISTORY http://www.flickr.com/photos/57565555@N00/9875559905/. -Halloween…….……………..…….………………….17 -It happened in September………………..…18 This picture has a creative commons license which is explained as it follows: (BY-NC-ND) -Famous People born in September…….18 ………………………..19 Does not permit any commercial use or Proverb of the Month -International Accreditations at UTN…...19 derivates of the original work. This is the most -Discovering Pura Vida…………………………20 restrictive CC license and is often regarded as a ¨free advertising¨ license. Thank you to Big Contributors: Grey Mare for this wonderful picture. Marco Araya (Ad Writer) Sandra Argüello (Column Writer) David Chaves (Student Contributor) If you have an awesome picture you think Eric Herrera (Executive Editor, Photographer, Writer) could be the cover of one of The ILE Post Gerardo Molina (News Contributor) editions, send it to [email protected]. Xinia Nagygeller (Article Contributor)

So far several readers have sent amazing Niki Sims (Academic Journal Article Editor) pictures that we will be sharing with you soon.

Due to Institution Instructions, all FACEBOOK pages have been closed http://www.facebook.com/utnile

ILE UTN [email protected]

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Mens Sana in Corpore Sano

―A healthy mind in a healthy body‖, wrote to lose ability to communicate with other the Roman poet Juvenal as early as the cells and little by little they die. Wanjek first century A.D. The importance of (2012) concluded that regular physical exercise is known to prevent or manage a exercise appears to protect the brain from wide range of health problems, especially shrinking, an otherwise natural process against overweight. However, we hardly that is associated with memory and promote its benefits for a healthy mind. thinking problems. Today, people usually complain of how Whether we like it or not, age makes our tired they are, of a hundred things to do, brains harden, similarly to what happens that they just want to go home and sleep. with bread after a day or two. However, Out of this the perfect excuse comes out as exercise stimulates the brain plasticity by ―if I were not so tired, I would go stimulating growth of new connections exercise‖. Such mental fatigue can also be between cells (Montelli, Zheng, Jing, fought with exercise. It has been proved Gómez, Twiss, 2004). This is exactly what that physical activity stimulates various doctors keep saying all the time that brain chemicals that may leave a feeling prevention is not just better but also happiness and lower stress levels (Rob, cheaper and less painful than a cure. 2010). Likewise, physical activity delivers So it does not matter if what you pursue is oxygen and nutrients to tissues. In fact, a physically athletic look, disease regular physical activity helps the entire prevention, or getting rid of stress, exercise cardiovascular system in order to breathe will always be the best answer, as simple easily. When the heart and lungs work as that. Deep inside, once you get used to more efficiently, the benefits are energy exercising, it also becomes fun and maybe and a sharp mind. addictive. There must be a concern for current health If the concept of "mens sana in corpore conditions, but also for what may come in sano" was already valued in the old the future. Two typical diseases many Juvenal's Roman Society, how much more people suffer from at certain age are it has to be for the society of today, when Alzheimer and dementia. They happen so much depends on the mental capability because there is a disconnection among to deal with a daily hard life. nerve cells in the brain, for neurons seem

References: Moltenni, R., Zheng, J., Jing, Z., Gomez, F., Twiss, J., (2004). Voluntary exercise increases axonal regeneration from sensory neurons. Recovered from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC420418/

Rob, D., (2010). Exercise Builds Better Brains. Recovered from http://www.healthhabits.ca/2010/01/21/exercise- builds-better-brains/

Wanjek, C., (2012). For a Healthy Brain, Physical Exercise Trumps Mental Workout. Recovered from http://www.livescience.com/24180-physical-exercise-boosts-brain-health.html

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English Certification Process at UTN

The 1-2013 Trinity Certifying Process just concluded with great success its roll of interviews for professors and students. Trinity is a leading provider of qualifications for teachers in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), with more than 30 years of experience. Trinity qualifications are widely recognized by employers and education authorities around the world. Seventy five candidates enjoyed the experience of being classified according to the Common European Framework for Languages and with international recognition. Mr. David Evans was in charge of this process. He is originally from London, England. Now, students are very motivated with reaching higher English spoken standards and get the benefits this foreign language provides.

¨Having to take the Trinity test in order to prove our proficiency in English is actually a very good idea. This requirement along with the training courses and seminars regarding teaching methodologies is indeed an effective way for the UTN to make sure that we all have what it takes to provide our students with the quality of education that they deserve¨, said Andres Bejarano, one of the UTN teachers who got his certificate.

¨This was an interesting experience, but I have to admit I was very nervous at the beginning; however, as the examination was taking place I started to feel calm and confident. I had a preparation process that lasted for a week where I got information about the examination, its parts and content. I consider this preparation stage very valuable and I advise, whoever wants to take the GESE examination, a good prior proper preparation and a lot of practice¨, said Yamil Segura, another UTN teacher who got his certificate.

Soon UTN will expect all of its teachers to be certified as a result of their ongoing investment in training to improve teaching standards throughout the university system.

UTN Exclusive Tax Revenue Project

The establishment of UTN required strong mechanisms be put in place to ensure university goals could be realized and then maintained on a long-term basis. The most important of those mechanisms is, of course, the budget. Government grants have been the primary contributor to a successful balanced budget, and have supported... (rest of sentence). However, this public funding will not continue providing such accomplishments ad infinitum. Chancellor Marcelo Prieto has proposed the strengthening of the institutional budget with the enactment of a government law to allow an exclusive tax revenue system for the UTN. This project would establish an increase of $5 in the departure tax. Four dollars out of this five dollar fee will be allocated to the UTN. The other dollar is contributed to the strengthening of the professional technical schools of the country. This initiative was presented to the legislative authorities on October 29th, 2012, and the Special Commission of Science, Technology and Education of the Legislative Assembly unanimously approved the final document on September 3rd, 2013. In brief, UTN is close to achieve this major goal after strenuous efforts for over a year. This will indefinitely support the development of the university to ultimately offer a technical education of excellence with more opportunities for the students. 4

Aerosmith in Costa Rica

On October 1st, American legendary rock band, Aerosmith returned to the stage for the third time in Costa Rica at the National Stadium. The concert was part of the band‘s Global Warming Tour, which began in 2012. The group has already performed more than 60 concerts worldwide as part of the tour. Classics like: ―Dream On‖, ―Janie´s Got a Gun‖, ―Amazing‖ accompanied new hits from their new album "Music From Another Dimension", in what proved to be a Night of Rock at its best. The band was formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1970. Guitarist Joe Perry and bassist Tom Hamilton, originally in a band together called the Jam Band, met up with singer Steven Tyler, drummer Joey Kramer, and guitarist Ray Tabano, and formed Aerosmith. In 1971, Tabano was replaced by Brad Whitford, and the band began developing a following in Boston. (Image taken from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ch-villa/8351487633/sizes/m/in/photostream/ It is under creative commons and was taken by Ch Villa)

US Government Shutdown

During recent weeks, we have heard about the US government shutdown, but what is it? And why does it happen? Basically the government shutdown is a result of the inability of members of Congress to approve the budget. Because of this government shutdown, 800,000 government workers will be placed on involuntary unpaid leave. National Parks and National Monuments will be closed until further notice, and services such as the US Postal Service and the Department of Immigration will have to subsist on their profit-making activities, like selling stamps and issuing passports. The US currently has a Democrat President, a Republican majority House of Representatives, and a Democrat majority Senate. Congress has refused to pass the Democrat President‘s 2013-14 Federal Budget without major amendments to key policies, most notably Obamacare (Obama‘s universal health care plan). In response, the Democrats-controlled Senate has refused to even meet to discuss the amended bill, let alone pass it. The US Government financial year ends on September 30th, which means that if no budget is passed by that date, the government shuts down until a resolution is reached. This is not the first time a shutdown like this has occurred. Bill Clinton oversaw a four-week shutdown in 1996, and there was little-to-no economic fallout from that. However, a budget standoff has never happened to a US as divided and as economically imperilled as this one; the knock-on economic effects could lead to a recession. Furthermore, the US government is edging perilously close to its debt ceiling. If it hits the debt ceiling before the stand-off is resolved, the US Government will default on its loans. This would affect the US government‘s credit rating, global markets, and, pretty much everything, actually.

(Information taken from: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/30/us-shutdown-explainer-non-americans)

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Alajuela, 200 Years of History

According to a motion issued in the Spanish Parliament of Cadiz (Spain, May 19th, 1812), the first town hall of Alajuela was founded on October 10th 1813. On December 18th of the same year, the La Lajuela quarter obtained the title of town and it was renamed. It was first called "Villa Hermosa," then it was called "San Juan Nepomuceno de Alajuela" and finally the title of city was granted on November 20th, 1824 and with it the name "Alajuela" which remains today. In pre-Columbian times the land where the canton of Alajuela is today was part of the so-called Huetar Kingdom of the West, which was inhabited by native tribes, who at the time of the Spanish conquest were led by Chief Garabito. In 1777 the dwellers of La Lajuela and Ciruelas, having been served with notice to move to Villa Vieja (today‘s Heredia), requested the provisional construction of a public place of prayer in the house of Don Dionysius Oconitrillo, of Spanish origin, 30 meters north of where Alajuela‘s cathedral is today. After increases of population in the five existing quarters then: Targuaz, Puás, Ciruelas, La Lajuela and Rio Grande, the citizens faced difficulties to maintain their religious obligations, so they requested permission to establish a parish and a public place of prayer from the Bishop of Nicaragua and Costa Rica, Monsignor don Esteban Lorenzo de Tristán. (Information taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alajuela)

Meza Skate Board

Last October 6th, Meza Skate Park opened to the public. The project was made possible through the efforts launched by Alajuela City Mayor Roberto Thompson. It is being described as one of the biggest community projects ever in Alajuela and it will, quite literally, take our local sports facilities to the extreme. Its aim was to provide active Alajuela youngsters wanting something different from the traditional activities and team sports on offer, with another option – one that many had repeatedly called for a long time. Extreme sports fans labeled their long-awaited skate park ‗awesome and exciting‘ as they stepped foot on it for the first time.

(Pictures taken from Alajuela City Mayor Roberto Thompson´s FACEBOOK)

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Nevermore, Nevermore

On October 7th, lovers of the mysterious and the melancholy mourn the death of Edgar Allan Poe. As is appropriate for the man who invented the detective story, he died 164 years ago, in 1849 at the age of 40, under baffling circumstances. Edgar Allan Poe was born on January 19th, 1809, in Boston, Massachusetts. He was orphaned at a young age when his mother died shortly after his father abandoned the family. Poe was taken in by John and Frances Allan, of Richmond, Virginia, but they never formally adopted him. He attended the University of Virginia for one semester but left due to lack of money. After enlisting in the Army and later failing as an officer's cadet at West Point, Poe parted ways with the Allans. His publishing career began humbly, with an anonymous collection of poems, Tamerlane and Other Poems (1827), credited only to "a Bostonian". Poe and his works influenced literature in the United States and around the world, as well as in specialized fields, such as cosmology and cryptography. The name Poe brings to mind images of murderers and madmen, premature burials, and mysterious women who return from the dead. Poe and his work appear throughout popular culture in literature, music, films, and television. A number of his homes are dedicated museums today. Among his long collection of poems and short stories, some of the most famous are: The Pit and the Pendulum, The Black Cat, The Masque of the Red Death, The Tell-Tale Heart, Anabelle Lee, and of course, The Raven.

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore, While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door. "'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door- Only this and nothing more." (The Raven)

Scholarly debate still rages as to why he was found, four days before his death, delirious and in borrowed clothes, in Baltimore, Maryland, far from his home in New York City. The exact cause remains unknown, but was rumored to have been everything from alcohol and opium, to syphilis, cholera, tuberculosis, rabies, and "brain congestion."

(Information Taken from: http://www.poemuseum.org/index.php) (Images taken from: http://www.wpclipart.com/)

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Explicit Grammar or Not? By Xinia Nagygeller (ILLE Professor)

Is grammar really so In the article ―An Introduction to important when studying a Grammar for English Language Learners‖ second or foreign language? in which he discusses the idea of teaching How explicit should we as grammar to English Language Learners English language teachers be (ELL), Folse (2009) has apparently written when addressing for teachers who are English native grammatical points in our classroom? speakers themselves. The author makes These questions may have different allusion to many cases in which, as native answers depending on what personal speakers of the target language, views we have on the meaning of instructors may not realize the importance grammar and how necessary it is in our of identifying the problems that their classrooms. students (either in ESL, EFL, ESP, K-12 or Folse (2009) claims that grammar is an other teaching settings) will face when essential aspect when learning English learning the language at different stages either as a second or as a foreign language and depending on their origin or because basically, grammar is the skeleton background. I have had the opportunity of language, the glue that puts together to teach as both a native and a non- strings of thought and helps make ideas native speaker. When I taught in the U.S. understandable. I agree with these claims as a Spanish teacher I was teaching my because without proper grammar we may first language without really any training be able to communicate some ideas but on it. So I can relate to what the author we may not always be able to achieve mentions in the text: just because I am a good results like obtaining the services we Spanish native speaker it does not mean want or providing the kind of information that I know why I use grammar the way I someone requests from us, just to mention do, so I may not be able to explain it well a few situations in which making our ideas or to foresee what problems Spanish understandable is needed. Moreover, poor learners will face in the learning process. grammar may indeed create serious On the other hand, because I have been misunderstandings and problems for an English language learner myself and I instance in business relationships or when share the same cultural and linguistic the target language is used for academic background of my EFL students here in purposes. When a person studies a second Costa Rica, I know what kind of problems I or foreign language (L2), he does not should expect and why students would study isolated words or idiomatic commit them. Experience has a lot to do expressions; he needs to know how to put with this, too, but I guess that sometimes those ideas together and in this way being a non-native speaker teacher has its resemble the speaking of the native advantages. Anyways, like Folse (2009) speakers of that language. I have thought argues, the most important thing is that as for a long time that as non-native ELL teachers we need to be aware of our speakers, what we do is to imitate native students‘ needs and objectives in learning speakers of the L2, and this applies to the language, and also we need to address grammar as well as to vocabulary, grammar in the way that is more pronunciation, body language, and other appropriate for their learning situation. It aspects. Therefore, we need to use the is definitely not the same to teach a grammatical patterns native speakers of conversational English course, EFL/ESL in English use in order to communicate in the K-12, or EFL in a college major. Grammar way they do. should be treated in different ways in 9 these settings, but it has to be present and turn to us as their models. So their English practiced somehow. is, to some degree, our product. I strongly believe that every language Am I in favor of teaching grammar teacher, native speaker or not, has to explicitly? Well, I have already mentioned develop strong skills in his or her own use that grammar is really important in all and knowledge of the target language kinds of settings, but how explicit it should grammar. First, it is part of our credibility be made really depends on the kind of as teaching professionals to make good English class being taught. I have taught use of language. Then, and as Folse (2009) all kinds of courses and levels, including points out, ―the teacher‘s daily English Grammar and Composition at college input plays a much more important role in level, and I can say that grammar has the English acquisition of ELLs than many always being present in some way or teachers believe‖ (p. 18). This means that another. Folse (2009) states that we are the main providers of examples on experience gives teachers the ability to the use of the language, especially in EFL identify what works best for a kind of class, settings where students may not really course or topic, and that experimenting have the opportunity to interact with the with different ways of teaching grammar language outside the classroom. Hence we should lead us to the development of need to exert a good command of better teaching skills and a sense for how language in general. Also, I can remember to treat such an important aspect of L2 my Applied Linguistics professor at UCR learning. I could not agree more with this when she said that we, her students, were position. If we want our students to make mostly her product. Now I think she was appropriate and effective use of language, right because I can see how much teachers we must look for the best ways to cater to influence and affect the way students their needs and give them the tools to learn to use the language, and how they succeed in their ELL process.

References Folse, K. (2009). Keys to teaching grammar to English language learners: A practical handbook. Ann Arbor, MI: The Michigan University Press

Importance of Research and Documentation By Gerardo Molina (English Professor)

I was recently assigned a could not prove…‖, ―it was not simple homework task in a determined…‖, ―there was not enough course I am taking. It was to evidence of …‖ find a scientific article in the So, I remembered a presenter I heard field of education and about a year ago telling that everything present a briefing of the that happens in education is mainly trial article to the class. It sounds simple, but and error based on someone‘s idea instead there was a limitation. It cannot be a of scientific studies. After this experience, monograph or opinion article. It should be that sounds pretty much right. a scientific study. I did some research on Education I started by checking scientific databases programs offered by the universities, and such as Cochrane and digital education majors with an emphasis on Curriculum, magazines from different countries, Evaluation, Adult teaching, elementary- including Costa Rica. The surprise was that school teaching are very popular, yet a there are some studies out there, but most major on Education with emphasis on of them end up with conclusions like ―we Research is offered against the demand. 10

Since the demand is reduced, they are For those more inclined to write formal rarely offered. research papers, it is important to consider Maybe not many teachers will be some ground rules for respecting interested in studying Research as a intellectual rights. There are two formats graduate major, but we should at least that help us avoid plagiarism and give our start applying some principles of research research paper a standardized format. The and documentation in our own classes. If first one is APA from the American we think that our way of teaching X topic Psychological Association. It is widely found is not working as expected, we can think in medical, scientific, and psychological of a different approach. However, we papers. On the other hand, the MLA is the cannot treat our students as guinea pigs system from the Modern Language every time. We must document the Association and is widely used in linguistic experience and share it with other research and pedagogy. The institution professionals so that we build a database you are doing the research for will with statistics and feedback that can help probably tell you what format to use, but us all get to better performance and it is necessary that you learn how to use better results. them well.

Every day we get tons of new information. Newspapers, books, pamphlets, and the internet give us the chance to learn about what people think, what happens around the world, and even some things we could not even imagine. In this section, we want to give a glimpse to what was happening around the world more than fifty years ago. We want to clarify that this article is used because it is considered of public domain. When a work's copyright term ends, the work passes into the public domain. This is why it is important to check the copyright length which changes according to the country. In the case of the USA, for example, its rules establish that a work´s copyright term ends: √95 years from publication or 120 years from creation whichever is shorter (anonymous works, pseudonymous works, or works made for hire, published since 1978) √95 years from publication for works published 1964–1977; 28 (if copyright not renewed) or 95 years from publication for works published 1923–1963 (Copyrights prior to 1923 have expired.) After this important explanation, we leave you with an article from The Literary Digest, 1897.

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The War and the Servant Published in 1918 in the Vanity Fair Magazine

In the good old ante-bellum days, scenes were every-day occurrences in the life of Mr. J. Wallingford Smith, - inventor and sole owner of Smith´s Slenderizing Stays, they Lace on the side. Mr. Smith simply could not call it a day unless at least five footmen and valets were involved in the complicated process of getting him dressed for the eyes of the world. All his puttings on and his taking off were supervised, directed, and personally attended to by these motherly creatures; the elaborate ceremony was rather like that of the popular French colored print entitled, ―The Queen‘s Toilette.‖ And then, just as mixed up in this war, and the draft came along and, oh, dear, look at the Smith mansion now. Portrait impression, from memory, of Mr. and Mrs. J. Wallingford Smith, motoring in their third-best Rolls-Royce, just about two weeks before the Kaiser turned on the war. Note the attendant chauffeur and footman- Mr. and Mrs. Smith wouldn‘t dream of going out in anything, not even a Ford, unless it had at least two men on the box. But things aren‘t what they used to be. the chauffeur and footman left for the front about six months ago, leaving the Rolls-Royce flat. This scene, almost too terrible to look upon, it is absolutely true. It‘s not one of those faked war pictures at all. It shows the hideous suffering, the dreadful privations, that the war has brought upon some of us. It shows, in short, the bitter anguish of the J. Wallingford Smith as they watch a battalion of their footmen, chauffeurs, butlers, valets, gardeners, coachmen, grooms, house detectives, and resident photographers departing for the embarkation camp. How silent and lonely the house will seem without the familiar presence of these brave youths! Mrs. Smith is simply overcome at the thought of the empty future. Fate seems to be against the unhappy Smith-it´s not even on speaking terms with them. Even that good idea if Mrs. Smith´s about engaging a child footman didn‘t work out. The boy wonder was really too immature-he couldn‘t overhear, even the simplest stories without blousing-so Mrs. Smith had to resort to a mere maid to accompany her around our city. But, judging from the maid´s expression, it doesn‘t look as if she thought much of her job; there aren‘t enough men around to make it really worth her while. All the regular ones are in uniform the ones that are out of khaki are out of the question. Conscription is the mother of invention- Mrs. Smith recently conceived the brilliant idea of engaging a mere stripling to pinch-hit for the drafted footman. Someone simply has to carry the family ermines around- you can‘t expect a lone lady to do it all by herself. Of course, the new footman is a trifle inept, but there´s one consoling thing about him – they can´t draft him for twelve years, anyway. The accompanying picture graphically portrays the new footman in action-playing the part of a human coat room while Mrs. S. drops in at the Ritz, at teatime. The waiter has really been all worked up over the size of Mrs. Smith‘s food order-you can see only the very, very last of it. He is thinking seriously of getting Mr. Hoover on the long distance and having something very radical done about her And here is the ultimate straw. Even the maid has gone and done it-she enlisted necessary Service. The uniform is so much more becoming than those trying maid´s costumes. She is pictured with her young man, lately invalided home from the front. The Smiths ´grief and desolation cannot be shown; there is some bereavement, among the very rich, which is too deep and terrible to be gazed on by the mere subscribers to Vanity Fair.

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From the heart of my attic, this month I want to share with you something about my passionate and mad soul. ATTE. Bertha Mason

Dark soul

Each night, the tender Feeling leaves And is replaced by this tiny spider. It‘s legs spread around my chest, Begging for attention. She crawls, cries; whispers Tempting lullabies. The souls darkens, But remains awake Through the silent night.

Kindergarten By Adrian Calvo (ILE Student)

What I do remember from kindergarten was how happy and excited I was. I remember this feeling when my son entered preschool recently. The difference was that now as his mother I almost suffered a heart-attack by leaving him there the first day. (Just for the record: I never leave him alone for more than five minutes.) The idea of leaving him with a stranger was not my favorite idea. So when the day arrived and he went to the classroom, I felt very uneasy: a hole in my stomach and my eyes wet. But I wasn‘t the only one. Some parents had tears falling and some others were already used to the routine so they were pretty calm. I can even recall the image of my mother on my first day of kindergarten and her eyes were also watering. I remember from my childhood that the playground was not big, but it had a slide, a seesaw, a swing and some monkey bars. The playground my son has in his school consists basically of some plastic slides, like playground sets, a seesaw and a swing. Another thing I remember is the classroom. It was very colorful. Beside the tables and chairs, we had toys, table games and a small plastic house that was like a hospital with the hospital gown and some doctor instruments, but it also had some clothes like a tutu or funny t-shirts. The classroom of my son was familiar to mine except it wasn‘t colorful. It was blue and there were no cute decorations made of foam like the ABC or Winnie the Pooh. Notwithstanding, the contents were very different. When I was in kindergarten, I was six years old; my son, who was only three years old, learned more things than I learned. He was taught English, Religion, Computer and Physical Education. He also had to learn the alphabet (recognizing vowels from consonants), the colors, the numbers from 0-20 and recognizing the decades until 100 besides all the activities and practices enhancing this knowledge and body coordination. 13

Definitely children have the potential to learn all these things and more. Something I wouldn‘t believe in my time. Just like my mother did with me, I believe the key to maintaining our children´s interest in education is to support them.

As children, we love when our parents sing us nursery rhymes before we go to bed. Here, we want to share with you one of the most famous nursery rhymes in English.

Mary had a Little Lamb

Mary had a little lamb, And so the teacher turned it out, little lamb, little lamb, turned it out, turned it out, Mary had a little lamb, And so the teacher turned it out, its fleece was white as snow. but still it lingered near.

And everywhere that Mary went, And waited patiently about, Mary went, Mary went, patiently about, patiently about, and everywhere that Mary went, And waited patiently about, the lamb was sure to go. till Mary did appear.

It followed her to school one day, "Why does the lamb love Mary so?" school one day, school one day, Love Mary so? Love Mary so? It followed her to school one day, "Why does the lamb love Mary so," which was against the rules. the eager children cry.

It made the children laugh and play, "Why, Mary loves the lamb, you know." laugh and play, laugh and play, The lamb, you know, the lamb, you know, it made the children laugh and play, "Why, Mary loves the lamb, you know," to see a lamb at school. the teacher did reply.

The nursery rhyme was first published by the Boston publishing firm Marsh, Capen & Lyon, as an original poem by Sarah Josepha Hale on May 24, 1830, and was inspired by an actual incident.

(Information taken from: http://makingmusicfun.net/htm/f_mmf_music_library_songbook/mary-had-a-little-lamb-history-and- lyrics.htm)

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Here there are some examples of how to say things in different situations.

SITUATION FORMAL RELAXED INFORMAL You were at a party I was quite I didn’t realize what I completely lost and you didn’t unaware of time it was. track of time. know it was so late. how time had progressed. A man often makes He is disrespectful He’s sexist. He’s an MCP (a sexist comments. and insulting male chauvinist You tell a friend. towards women. pig). You think a film It really impressed It was incredible. It was out of this was really, really me. world. impressive. You tell a friend. (Information taken from Hot English Online Magazine #66, p.10)

Business Acronyms Usually in movies or in companies and offices we visit, we listen to people using acronyms that we certainly do not understand. As in the previous edition, today we want to share some common acronyms business people use. We hope they will be useful especially if you are reading business technical documentation.

CAO: Chief Accounting Officer R&D: Research and Development

CMO: Chief Marketing Officer B2B: Business to Business (companies that sell to other companies, like Oracle)

CSA: Customer Service Advisor CFO: Chief Financial Officer (head of the finance)

FIFO – First In, First Out (used both FY: fiscal year in computer programs and accounting; it determines HR: human resources that what comes first is handled first) KPI: Key performance indicators

P&L: Profit and Loss (also called MSRP: Manufacturer‘s Suggested Retail Price Income Statement, is an accounting report used to SOHO: Small Office/Home Office outline how revenues are transformed into profits) TCO: Total Cost of Ownership (a method to estimate all the costs TQM: Total Quality Management

(Words taken from: http://innovationzen.com/blog/2007/10/10/all-the-business-acronyms-you-need-to-know/) 15

Joomag

Joomag is a FREE service for creating digital interactive content, including digital magazines, photo albums, catalogs and e-books. All this is possible right from the website using this innovative online editing tool. Joomag is an innovative service for digital interactive magazine publishing and hosting. It features a powerful platform for creating digital interactive content, including magazines, e-books, catalogs, reports, brochures and photo albums, and delivers an exceptional reading experience to users thanks to the carefully designed online viewer with realistic flipping effects and user friendly magnifying and panning features. Everyone is free to use Joomag. Individuals can use it to publish articles, photo albums, brochures and so on using Joomag‘s online editing tools. Media business owners can use it to publish their existing printed materials by converting them to digital format using the converter tool, which can convert from popular editorial formats to Joomag‘s digital format. They can then add interactivity, such as videos, links, sounds and animation, using the editing tools. Students and Teachers from over 130 Educational organizations worldwide use Joomag for their course works, papers and e-learning materials. Digital Magazines offer publishers the unique opportunity to easily spread their content around the world, saving money traditionally spent on print and distribution. Recent research showed that the reader engagement with a digital interactive magazine is more than five times greater than with a similar one without interactivity. Digital Interactive Magazines also encourage readers to interact for access to additional content, for example by clicking to play content in the form of video, slide shows, and flash animation or by registering online for membership in a fan, professional or special interest group. (Information taken from: http://www.joomag.com/)

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A dog walks into a job centre, goes up to Mother comes home from a business trip the woman at the desk and says, 'Good and asks her little son,. 'Well, Johnny, how afternoon, miss. I'm looking for work.' did you get along with father while I was The woman looks up, amazed, and says, away?' 'Good heavens, a talking dog! Er... well, let's try the circus in town. I'll give them a 'Everything was fine, mum,' the little boy ring.' says. 'Daddy took me to the middle of the The dog says, 'The circus? What on earth lake by boat every morning and I swam would the circus do with a computer home alone.' programmer?' 'Wasn't it too much for you to swim?' 'Oh, no, mum, the only problem was that I

had to get out of the bag first.'

______'Waiter, what's this?'

'It's bean soup, sir.' 'I don't care what it's been - what is it Two women neighbors are talking. now?' 'Mary, what's wrong with you? Are you ill? I saw the doctor coming out of your house ______twice last week.' 'So what? I saw an officer coming out of Teacher: 'What's your name?' your house five times last week but I'm not Schoolboy: 'Henry Smith.' saying that a war has broken out.' Teacher: 'Always say 'Sir' when you speak to a teacher.' Schoolboy (apologetically): 'Sir Henry Smith.'

______

(Images taken from: http://www.wpclipart.com/) ______(Jokes taken from http://english.specialist.hu/a3/xfun/jok.php )

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Halloween Halloween is observed on October 31st in the United States and the United Kingdom. The ancient Celtic harvest festival, Samhain, was the earliest version of Halloween. About 3,000 years ago, the Celts believed in many gods and worshiped nature. They thought that the spirits of the recently deceased traveled together to the land of the dead on Samhain. To win the favor of the spirits, people sacrificed crops and animals, and wore costumes and masks to disguise themselves. In Scotland farmers carried torches around their fields to frighten evil spirits away from the crops. In Wales people built bonfires on hilltops and carefully watched them until midnight. When the fire burned out, everyone ran down the hill as fast as possible. It was thought that the devil would capture the last person down the hill. After the Roman invasion of Britain in A.D.43, Samhain was linked with Roman autumn holidays. The Romans celebrated a harvest festival in honor of the goddess Pomona, from which came many customs associated with apples and nuts. They also celebrated Feralia, a day to honor the dead. Halloween is linked to all three of these holidays. As Christianity spread throughout Europe, pagan holidays were given new Christian interpretations. Samhain, Feralia, and Pomona were combined into ALL SOULS‘ DAY. The night before this holiday was known as All Hallows‘ E‘en. Hallow is an old word meaning ―holy,‖ and e‘en is Scottish for ―evening.‖ Eventually it became one word—Halloween. Wearing costumes is still a popular tradition, but it is done for fun, not to hide from evil spirits. Black cats, bats, and witches were once thought to have supernatural, evil powers. Now pictures of them are used as decorations. Black and orange are seen everywhere during Halloween. Orange symbolizes autumn and the harvest, and black is the color of death and darkness. The colors remind us that Halloween was once a harvest festival and a festival of the dead. (Information taken from: Mohenm, H., (2000). World Holidays. p. 40) (Image taken from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nypl/4055670403/sizes/o/in/photostream/)

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It happened in October October 1st, 1880 First electric lamp factory opened by Thomas Edison. October 3rd, 1863 Lincoln designates last Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day October 5th, 1938 Germans mark all Jews' passports with a large red letter "J" to restrict Jewish immigration to Switzerland, following a request from the Swiss government. October 9th, 1965 Beatles' "Yesterday," single goes #1 and stays #1 for 4 weeks. October 11th, 1906 San Francisco public school board sparks United States diplomatic crisis with Japan by ordering Japanese students to be taught in racially segregated schools. October 16th, 1923 Disney Company is founded. October 22nd, 1938 First Xerox copy is made. October 24th, 1970 Salvador Allende Gossens is elected president of Chile. October 30th, 1938 Orson Welles broadcasts his radio play of H. G. Wells's The War of the Worlds, causing a nationwide panic in the United States.

Famous People Born In October

PERSON BIRTHDAY Zlatan Ibrahimovic October 3rd, 1981 Hugh Jackman October 12th,1968 E. E. Cummings October 14th,1894 Wayne Rooney October 24th,1985 Francois Mitterrand October 26th,1916 Julia Roberts October 28th,1967 Diego Maradona October 30th,1960

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A proverb is a short saying or sentence that is generally known by many people. The saying usually contains words of wisdom, truth or morality that are based on common sense or practical experience. It is often a description of a basic rule of conduct that all people generally follow or should follow. Proverbs can be found in all languages. To close this month´s edition, we want to make you think about this popular Irish proverb:

A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book. ~ Irish Proverb

International Accreditations at UTN by Marco Araya Trinity College London offers its second roll of international accreditations this coming December. This entity honored Universidad Técnica Nacional, Registered Examination Center 46172, as the only representative institution in Costa Rica to test people who want to acquire a worldwide recognition in his/her English language skills. Each year, more than half a million applicants in Latin America are accredited by Trinity which is not only the oldest but also best- qualified European educational entity. Examinations are based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. PIT (Programa Institucional de Idiomas para el Trabajo) office provides all the information you need to register for the next examination process. Representatives will be pleased to guide aspirants through this remarkable experience: registration requisites, pre–tests, tutoring, and assertive advice. Contact us and become a Trinity certified member. Ph: 2435- 5000 ext: 1233

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Discovering Pura Vida Remember, if you want to read authentic stories created in UTN-ILE, you can find them in Discovering Pura Vida. The books are a series of language learning and culture immersion original stories in English with an interesting way of learning Spanish. They are for kindle readers at the moment, but any PC or tablet can display them, too. Each book is $3.99.

(Images taken from: Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field keywords=discovering+pura+vida&sprefix=discovering+pura%2Caps&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Adiscovering+pura+vida

To buy one of these wonderful titles go to DISCOVERING PURA VIDA